Clarity
by Brielle.Page
Summary: After Jonathan kidnaps Clary in the hopes of aligning her with him, but when Clary refuses, he tortures her to try and break her. Clary doubts that even Jace can save her from this demon.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at a Shadowhunter fanfiction. Please let me know what you'd like to read, and if it's any good! Thank you all for reading my stories! - Brielle**

 **I do not own Shadowhunters or the Mortal Instruments. All rights belong to Cassandra Clare and any other rightful owner.**

Clary couldn't quite place the sound that she heard. It was sharp, but then it hollowed out into a deep echo. Groggily, she pulled her arms in under her and pushed up onto her elbows, the blood rushing from her head, causing extreme lightheadedness. Clary looked around through the dim light, and she realized that the sounds she was hearing were water drops dripping into a small puddle on the concrete a few feet away. She hissed at the stinging on her temple, and she reached up only to see that her wrists were chained. The clanking of the chain links was muffled. In fact, everything sounded as if it was being put through a filter before reaching her ears.

"Oh my God," she squeezed her eyes shut, a hand pressing against the side of her throbbing head. After the wave of pain passed, she opened her eyes and studied the rest of her body for injuries. There were bruises and scrapes all along her arms, but none were of pressing concern. Clary looked down at herself, taking in her appearance. She was still wearing her black boots, black skinny jeans, and blue t shirt, but the shirt was soiled and torn, and her leather jacket was nowhere to be found. Clary stood, granted unsteadily, but she got up and started towards the door. Her cuffs bit at her wrists when they caught and wouldn't let her move any farther. She was tethered to the far side of the wall, and there was no way she would be able to yank the base out of the stone.

"Jace!" Clary tried calling out, but her voice was hoarse from lack of use. She cleared her throat and tried again, and she managed a decent volume. "Jace!"

"Oh, my dear Clarissa," a voice said. It wasn't Jace. Clary knew this slimy voice, and rage began to bubble in her. Jonathan's face appeared on the other side of the slot in the door, a satisfied smirk on his lips. "Jace isn't coming to your rescue, little sister. It's just you and me now."

Clary glared at him. "No," she growled. "You're wrong. He'll come. I bet he's on his way right now."

"Are you willing to lose that bet, dear sister?" Jonathan asked, tilting his head.

Clary figured Jace would have found out by now that she was missing, and he would be tearing the Clave apart to get a search team out, but a small part of her—a very small part—doubted if Jace would find her. She had no idea where she was because there were no windows in the room, so she didn't even know what time of day it was.

"Did you hear me, Clarissa?" Jonathan asked through the slit.

"He'll come," Clary said, but even she thought she didn't sound convinced.

"Oh, I highly doubt that," Jonathan chuckled and a chill crawled down Clary's spine. "Because it's quite difficult to find a person when they're not even on the same continent as you anymore."

Clary's stomach dropped, and she could feel the blood drain from her face. "What?" she tried to sound unaffected by the news, but her voice squeaked slightly.

Jonathan laughed loudly. Clary heard the creak of the wooden door as it was opened, and light flooded the small room, blinding her. Jonathan took two big steps into the room, and Clary shrunk back, trying to focus her eyesight. "I thought I'd take you to the one place you've always wanted to go," he said, a twinkled in his dark eyes. "The countryside of Paris."

Clary shook her head. "No. You're lying."

"Lying?" Jonathan chuckled. "Why would I lie to you, my own flesh and blood?"

"Because you're a monster," Clary hissed, backing away even more.

"Now, now, Clarissa," Jonathan cooed, twisting Clary's red hair around his finger. "I'm sure if there had been a doctor there at my birth, he would have said: 'Congratulations, it's a _boy_.'" Jonathan smirked coolly.

"Congratulations, it's an asshole," Clary snapped sarcastically, tugging at her chains, but she couldn't move any farther from the wall.

Jonathan's eyes darkened. "I'm trying to be nice," he said, pointing a finger at her. "However, you're not making it easy for me. As long as you behave, you'll keep receiving the company of your brother, but if not…" Jonathan faded. "you'll unfortunately have to deal with the monster."

Clary swallowed, but she kept her face as neutral as possible. If she showed any signs of weakness or fear, Jonathan wouldn't hesitate at the opportunity to use it against her. She glanced around the small room. If they were in the countryside of France, then that meant they were probably in some sort of cottage, and the only place she could think of that wouldn't have any windows in a cottage, would be a storage pantry. Jonathan's eyes caught hers and he seemed to have read her mind instantaneously.

"We're in a small cottage," he said. "I cleared out the pantry because this was the only room with stone walls sturdy enough to hold back your fiery spirit," he placed two fingers under her chin and shook her head back and forth like he was cooing over a puppy.

Clary yanked her face out of Jonathan's grasp. "Don't touch me," she snarled, sinking back into the shadows.

Jonathan's face seemed to set into stone. His eyes narrowed, and the calm, almost caring brother evaporated into the heartless killer Clary knew all too well. "I would suggest you be careful how you speak to your brother, Clarissa," he growled.

"Screw you!" she shouted, her voice high pitched.

Jonathan leapt at her, swifter than Clary could almost process. He was in front of her in an instant. He grabbed her by the throat, lifting her entire body off the ground several inches. She couldn't breathe, and she couldn't fight his inhuman strength. He reached behind him and pulled out his stele, and he moved his hand just enough to leave a section of Clary's neck exposed. In several swift, swooping motions, he burned a rune into Clary's skin, and she immediately started screaming in pain. Jonathan dropped her to the ground, leaving her to thrash and twist upon the concrete.

"What—" Clary's voice was strangled by the lack of air in her lungs. She screamed again, clawing at her neck, trying to ruin the shape of the rune to dull its power. "What did you do?" she gasped, her eyes wild.

"The agony rune," Jonathan grinned devilishly. "I'm sure you've heard of it. However, it is frowned upon in the Shadowhunter community to use it on other Shadowhunters." He looked down at his fingers, shrugging nonchalantly.

"You—" Clary gasped. "You're _not_ a Shadowhunter."

Jonathan tsked, bending down to stare Clary in the face. "Oh, my poor, dear, little sister," he said softly, innocently, but his expression hardened a split second later. "You have no _idea_ what I am."

Clary held her breath, but another wave of agonizing pain flashed through the rune and into her body, and another shriek escaped her lips. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her teeth were clenched together, and her body was so tense that it shook.

"You know, Clarissa," Jonathan sighed. "We're more alike than you'd care to believe."

At the sound of his voice, Clary opened her eyes and peeked up at Jonathan, hatred boiling in her blood. "I hate you," she growled through gritted teeth. "I _hate_ you." She expected her words to send Jonathan into another tizzy, but instead, he leaned closer.

"Yes," Jonathan smiled, sighing longingly. "So much alike."


	2. Blood Bonds

"Where is she!?" Jace howled as he shoved a rack of swords over, causing a clash of ringing metal. He had stormed into the Institute, headed immediately for the central room where Alec and Isabelle were stationed over the screens of the city.

"The Clave won't risk going after Jonathan, not when he's part demon," Alec said.

"Then that's all the reason to go!" Jace shouted, flicking back his hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. "He's got demon blood and that's what Shadowhunters do: kill demons!"

"Jace," Isabelle sighed, trying to calm him, but Jace only shrugged her off.

"I can't just sit here while I know that Clary is with that psychopath!" Jace pounded the table between the three of them.

"It's too risky," Alec said. "Remember that time when you and Jonathan were gal-pals?"

Jace huffed, shaking his head at Alex's retort. "I didn't volunteer to be possessed by Lilith. And this is different. Clary is at Jonathan's will, but she's still Clary."

"Which means she'll fight him every step of the way," Isabelle walked over and placed a hand on Jace's shoulder. "She hates her brother more than all of us."

"Izzy's right," Alec nodded. "Clary is a strong Shadowhunter and she's gifted with creating runes. If anyone can withstand Jonathan Morgenstern, it's Clary." Jace picked up his head and looked at Alec. "What?" Alec asked.

"That's probably the nicest thing you've ever said about Clary," he said.

Alec rolled his eyes. "Not true," he mumbled.

Jace crossed his arms. "I don't care what the Clave says. I'm going to find her, and you can either help me or get out of the way," Jace said to them.

"Jace, be reasonable," Alec sighed.

"Reasonable?" Jace scoffed. "How do you think you would be reacting if Magnus's life was in danger?" Jace's words hit home and Alec's jaw clenched. "You'd be fighting anyone who got in the way of you and your boyfriend," Jace said. "So you can't tell me that I'm supposed to sit here while the Clave does _jack-squat_ to help my girlfriend!"

Alec nodded, almost sadly. "Alright," he said. "We'll help."

"Alec!" Izzy gasped.

Alec turned on his sister. "What am I supposed to do, Izzy? Jace would go and look for Clary whether we decided to help or not, so at least we'll be with him and provide backup," he said.

Izzy rolled her eyes, her arms folded across her chest. Both men looked at her, waiting for a reply. "Fine!" she gasped, slapping dark maroon-colored nails on the side of her thigh. "But if Mother or Father finds out about this, I'm blaming you, big brother."

"Fine," Alec raised his hands in defense.

Jace looked at the two of them and then exhaled loudly. "Are you done?"

"Yeah," Izzy said.

"Good," Jace huffed, leaning over to pick up a seraph blade on the ground. He twirled the hilt in a circle, and mid-swing, the deadly blade appeared, shining a pure cyclone of light. "Let's go kick demon-boy's ass."

…..

Clary had clawed at her neck for hours, screaming in pain as she tried to alter the shape of the rune so it would stop working. Between the agony the rune was sending though her body and the burning pain in her open neck, Clary was exhausted to the point of hysterics. She lay on her back, her thin shirt sticking to her sweating shoulder blades. The extent of her movement now was slight twitching and the occasional whimper. The door creaked, but even through closed eyelids, she could tell it was followed by light pouring into the room. Clary didn't move. Footsteps came closer, only to stop when they were right next to her.

"Come now, sister," Jonathan said, a grin in his voice. "Have you given up already?"

Clary swallowed uneasily, and with her eyes closed still, replied: "Go to hell."

Jonathan chuckled. "I'd rather not," he said. "I've been there. It's not much fun."

Clary couldn't focus on what he was saying. She was in too much pain. Her thoughts were cloudy, and she couldn't make her eyes open even if she wanted to. A hand touched her shoulder, and while her stomach jumped, her body only shivered with another wave of pain.

"Have you had enough?" Jonathan asked quietly, his voice smooth.

Clary's jaw shook, but she said nothing. Then she felt a small burn on the right side of her neck, opposite of the agony rune, and then her pain faded away, leaving her whole body aching and weak. "How ironic," Jonathan said. "An iratze on one side and an agony rune on the other," he said about her neck.

"What do you want from me?" Clary whispered.

"All I want is you, Clarissa," he said in a light tone. If Clary didn't know him, she would have thought he was being sincere.

"Stop screwing with me," Clary snapped, forcing her eyes open. "What do you really want Sebastian?" she hissed, using his first name.

Jonathan's eyes narrowed, and his muscles visually tensed. "That is _not_ my name," he jabbed a finger at her. "My name is Jonathan Morgenstern, son of Lilith, Queen of Edom. Do not relate me to that cowardice of a Shadowhunter." Clary didn't want to push her luck. She was too weak to fight at the moment, but as soon as she regained her strength, she would escape.

" _What do you want from me_?" Clary growled, slowly picking herself up off the floor.

"What do I want?" Jonathan asked, looking up, seeming to actually consider the question. "I want to hurt Jace," he growled. "I want to make him suffer as I have. He killed my father and I will make him pay for what he did," he spat.

Clary coughed, caught slightly off-guard. " _That's_ what you believe?" she asked, walking towards him. "You think Jace is the one who killed Valentine?"

"How else do you believe he got touched by an angel?" Jonathan snarled. "Only by performing that task would an angel give a Shadowhunter its light."

"You're wrong," Clary shook her head. "Jace isn't the one who killed Valentine. I am," she said, lifting he chin a little higher.

Jonathan stared at Clary in disbelief for several moments, but then, a smile spread and he broke out into a hysterical cackle. "You're joking," he heaved. "Only Jace would have the power to take down our father."

"What?" Clary snapped. "Too scared to believe I was the one who ended out father's life?"

A shadow seemed to pass over Jonathan's face, and he was silent for a moment. Then, the realization dawned on him that Clary was in fact telling the truth. "No," he gasped quietly, backing away. "You wouldn't."

"I hated that man," Clary said. "The only father I've ever had was Luke. Valentine was _never_ my father. And you may be my brother, but you are _not_ , nor will you ever be, family!"

Jonathan looked down at the ground, speechless. Finally, he said: "I am your brother, Clarissa, and I want you to know that I plan on carrying out our father's plan," he stepped forward, leaning his lips close to Clary's neck. "And you're going to help me."

"Never!" Clary screamed, bringing her elbow up, sending it right into Jonathan's chin. He flew backward, a hand to his throat, struggling to breathe. Clary took off, out of the small room, and into the cozy cottage. The floors were wooden, and everything was rustic yet modern looking, but she had no time to stare at the décor. Clary found the door and yanked it open, breaking into a full sprint across the tall grass. However, they were no where near the city of Paris, so there were no people in sight. Clary looked behind her, only to turn around right into Jonathan, his blade drawn.

"You're family," he growled, blood running down his nose. "But sometimes family needs to be taught a lesson."

Clary screeched, ducking below his blade, rolling and then coming up behind him. She managed a solid kick to the back, but without full strength, she was already too slow. Jonathan recovered from the kick and spun the hilt of the sword back, connecting it to the side of Clary's temple. There was a thud as it impacted with her head, and she collapsed to the ground, almost peaceful-looking in the tall, yellow grass.

Jonathan sighed, sheathing his sword, and picking up his sister. She was light for being so strong and skilled, and that surprised him. He shouldn't doubt her abilities at her full strength though, because she was the daughter of Valentine, and that meant she was capable of anything.

"Sorry, little sister," Jonathan whispered, his voice muffled slightly into the tangled waves of her hair. "You'll learn to love me soon enough."


	3. Begging Me

Clary woke up, her head pounding. She was disoriented, and in the dark, she couldn't tell where she was. She slowly picked up her head, her hair falling in front of her eyes. She moaned involuntarily, the pain in her temple feeling like her brain was exploding. What had happened? She couldn't remember. She noticed sunlight streaming in, and that's when she realized she was in the small living room area in the cottage. There were large windows, but the curtains were drawn, so she couldn't see outside.

"Oh, God," she moaned, remembering that Jonathan had stopped her from escaping. She hadn't gotten very far on weak legs, but she'd be ready next time. _Next time?_ She thought. _What if there isn't a next time? What if Jace doesn't come?_ "Shut up, Clary," she told herself. "He's coming. Until then, you have to find a way out of here." Clary went to scratch her nose, but her hand was tied behind her. She looked back at her arms and wrists bound tightly to the back of the wooden chair she was sitting in. _No_ , she thought. _No, no, no!_ She leaned forward, trying to pull as much as possible against the ropes, but the more she pulled, the more the itchy rope bit into her skin.

"Damn it!" Clary yelled, huffing loudly as she sank back into the chair back.

"Such language, Clarissa," Jonathan came from around the corner, a canned beverage in his hand. He sipped it, exhaling obnoxiously in contentment. "Care for some?" he offered, handing the can to Clary. "Oh, wait, you're a little preoccupied at the moment," he sighed, motioning to Clary's tied hands. "Shame."

"Let me go, Jonathan," Clary warned, her voice low.

"I can't do that," he shook his head and took a sip from the can, which appeared to be some sort of iced tea. "I need you, so until you've done your part, I can't let you go anywhere."

"I have no part in your delusional plan," Clary said.

"Oh contraire, ma Cherie," Jonathan smiled. "You have the main part. You're the star of the show," he jabbed a finger at her.

"Here's the thing," Clary said. "I've always been more of an ensemble kind of girl."

"Not anymore," he grinned devilishly. He walked a slow circle around Clary, touching a cold hand to her shoulder. "Soon you'll be _begging_ to be with me, sister," he chuckled.

"You mean begging to be rid of you," she mumbled, but as soon as the words were out of her mouth, a fist hammered her right across the side of her face. Clary hung her head, blood dripping from her nose onto her jeans. Jonathan picked her head up, his face already calm again.

"You really shouldn't talk like that," he whispered.

Clary felt the blood sliding down her throat, so she stopped it, closed her mouth, and then spit the warm liquid on Jonathan's face.

"Agh!" he exclaimed and then a slew of curses came out of his mouth as he wiped the blood off. His beady eyes glared holes through Clary, and she could see the muscles in his jaw tense. "I guess I'll just have to get right to it, then," he hissed and then disappeared. He came back moments later, a small vial in hand. The liquid was a light green, and it seemed to darken when he popped the top.

"What is that?" Clary asked, eyeing the bottle warily.

"This is a potion," Jonathan cocked his head to the side and grinned.

"No duh dipwad," Clary rolled her eyes, glaring at him at the same time. "What does it do?"

"It's no fun if I tell you," Jonathan smiled wickedly. He walked over, the bottle in hand, and grabbed Clary's chin, forcing it up. "You'll find out what it does soon enough."

"No," Clary gasped. She tried to pull her head out of Jonathan's grasp, but the harder she pulled, the harder he squeezed her jaw. She yelped from the pain, eventually giving in and sitting still.

"Open."

"Never," Clary hissed.

"Fine," Jonathan huffed. "I thought you might try to pull a stunt like this," he said and then whipped an object out of his back pocket. A sharp pain pierced Clary's thigh, and she cried out, stomping her foot as a reaction. She noticed the pain had come from a syringe. Her heart dropped as she realized what had just happened. He injected her with the potion.

"Agh, screw you," she mumbled.

Jonathan finished pumping the potion into her and then drew out the needle, a satisfied smirk plastering his face. "See you soon, love," he whispered, patting the top of her head.

Clary felt the magic rushing through her veins. It burned, and it clouded her mind. She tried to think of a way to get out of the chair, but the potion was taking its toll. Her breathing grew ragged and her eyelids drooped, her limbs slacking before she fell to power of the potion.


	4. Her Jace

**I'm so sorry this has taken me so long to upload. My college class workload has taken over my life, so I've had no time for writing. I'm hoping to update relatively close to one another, but we'll see. I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

"How do you propose we go about searching for Clary?" Alec asked.

"Tracking rune?" Izzy guessed, shrugging.

"No," Jace grunted, shoving past both of them. "That won't work, especially if Clary's with Jonathan. He would have thought of us trying to track them, so he'll have them shielded somehow."

"What about—" Alec started but he immediately bit his lip and looked away.

"What?" Jace stepped forward, his gaze intense. "What, Alec?"

"Well, you and Clary did it before," he said slowly.

"Did what?" Jace growled, his hair falling in front of his eyes. "Spit it out, Alec!"

"You tracked Jonathan with your blood. If we can get a vile of Clary's blood from the infirmary, we may be able to use your runes to track her," Alex said, his hands crossed over his chest.

"Genius, Alec," Jace sighed. "I'm sure I would have thought of that eventually," he smirked.

"Yeah," Alec rolled his eyes. "Sure you would have."

"Let's get to the infirmary and get her blood without running into anyone."

The three Shadowhunters left the main room, glancing around at the others before slipping down the hall. If they got caught stealing another Shadowhunter's blood they could be in serious trouble, especially with the Clave. _What the Clave doesn't know can't hurt them_ , Jace thought. He was tired of them being two-faced. He was tired of being lied to, and he was especially fed up with the Clave not caring about Clary. She was his girlfriend, but besides that, Clary had ever right to be a Shadowhunter. Jace's blood started to boil just thinking about it. He wrenched his head in a shake, disturbing his thoughts. He couldn't think about that now. Clary needed him. And by the Angel, there was no way on Earth he'd let that bastard Jonathan touch her.

They successfully reached the infirmary and the room, along with the door, was empty since there were no current emergency assignments. Jace lead, barging through the threshold. He immediately went to the walk-in freezer in the back, threw open the door, and scanned every single vial of dark, separated blood and plasma. It only took a moment before he came away victorious, holding a tube in his hand.

"Let's do this."

Clary's world was spinning around her. The floors warped, stone walls seemed to melt into the ground, and the whole room appeared to crashing in around her. There was no up or down, no right or left, only a constant wave of motion and it was making her nauseous. She squeezed her eyes shut, ignoring how her stomach was rolling. When she opened them, the world was almost back to normal. The only difference she saw was that everything seemed to be tinted green. Everything was still though and she felt as though she could breathe again. Footsteps outside the door, just beyond the little kitchen, startled her. She held her breath, waiting. Finally, boots, thick ones, walked across the creaky floors and into the room. Clary's eyes widened and then narrowed in disbelief.

"Jace?"

Jace stood in the doorway, his saber drawn. He flicked his golden hair out of his eyes, neither hand ever leaving the hilt of his blade. "Clary."

"Jace," she sighed. "By the Angel. How did you get past Jonathan?"

"What can I say?" he inhaled. "I was just too good." He smirked before his expression evened out. "We don't have long, Clary. Alec and Izzy are waiting down by the creek, but Jonathan will be back and burning for revenge." Jace lowered his saber and cut Clary's wrists free, helping her to her feet.

"Oh," Clary groaned, falling into Jace's chest when a wave of dizziness and nausea overwhelmed her.

"Are you okay?" Jace asked, holding Clary up.

"No—I mean, yeah, I'm fine," she whispered. "Jonathan injected me with something and it's messing with my head. I'm fine though."

"Are you sure?" Jace's eyes traced over her body, taking in her appearance. "I have my stele if something is wrong."

"No, no, it's fine," Clary insisted. "Let's get out of here before it's too late."

Jace nodded, keeping an arm under Clary to keep her upright. They stumbled through the small cottage, but they were quick to get out the door and into the open air. Outside, it was warm but cloudy, the high meadow grass floating in the wind. Clary was immediately comforted by Jace's strong body under hers, and the fear and dread pitted in her stomach vanished instantly. It was amazing the affect he had on her. Clary snuggled closer to him, ignoring the unsteadiness in her vision and the flashes of green in front of her eyes. It was strange to see the world tinted this color, but—Clary shook her head—she couldn't think of that right now.

They were stumbling down a dirty and rocky path worn into the side of the hill, and Clary would have fallen if Jace hadn't been there. She couldn't seem to keep her feet in front of her. She tripped over her own feet three times descending the small hill, and surely would have face-planted if not for strong arms around her. Once they reached the bottom, a swooshing sound, like a vacuum, echoed from the woods. Clary stopped, panic spiking.

"That sounded like a portal," she whispered.

"Jonathan's found us," Jace growled. "Alec! Izzy!" No answer.

"Where are they?" Clary asked.

"I—I'm sure they're fine," Jace said, but Clary watched his eye twitch. He was lying. And she knew it. She could feel that something wasn't right.

"Jace!" The voice shot through the peaceful countryside. It was filled with rage, and Clary didn't need to see Jonathan's face to know that the voice belonged to him. "Clarissa!"

"It's Jonathan," Clary said.

"Don't worry," Jace pulled out the hilt of his saber, the blade shooting out. "I'll protect you."

"I can help," Clary insisted, but when she let go of Jace, she almost fell to the ground. Her head was so foggy that she could barely form sentences. She had to trust Jace.

Finally, Jonathan appeared at the clearing of the woods, disheveled and furious. He was joined by two grotesque demons whose species Clary couldn't think of at the moment. "Clarissa," he said, his voice soft as if he had been waiting his whole life to see Clary.

"Not another step," Jace threatened, his glowing blade pointed at Jonathan.

"Clarissa, it's me," Jonathan insisted. "You know me."

"Of course I know you," Clary spat. "You kidnapped me and tried to kill me."

Jonathan seemed aghast. "Why would I ever do that?"

"Stop playing games," Jace hissed and tightened his grip on Clary. "We're getting out of here. Together." Jace looked down at Clary, at her green eyes, and whispered in her ear: "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

"Clarissa, what are you doing?" Jonathan asked, his two demons on either side of him ready to strike. " _I'm_ the one you want. I'm here to save you."

Clary narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the green haze. Rage was boiling in her gut, and the hatred for her brother only grew as she stared at him. "The _last_ thing I want is you," she snapped. "I _hate_ you."

Clary could have almost sworn that hurt flashed across Jonathan's eyes, but it was gone too quickly to be sure.

"I think you're sick," Jonathan said, extending a hand. "Let me help you."

Clary shot back, almost falling. "I don't want your help! Jace is helping me!"

"Jace?" Jonathan asked, his eyes flitting to his demon friends. "What are you talking about?"

Clary glanced up at Jace, at his soft skin and cool eyes, his long golden hair that matched the speckles in his iris's. This was Jace. This was _her_ Jace.

"Don't listen to him, Clary," he said. "Whatever he's done to your mind, don't let him in. I'm right here. You're safe now."

"No, Clarissa, please," Jonathan took another step forward. "I came for you. We're here."

"I'm not leaving with you," Clary scoffed, retracting even farther.

Finally, Jonathan seemed to snap. His jaw tensed, and his eyes motioned to the demons. They attacked, moving forward quickly. They went right for Jace. He dropped Clary, losing his grip on her as one of the demons shot a dart into his shoulder. He gasped, losing his balance. Clary slid down the hill before she could get to her feet, and between the distortion of the world and the dizziness from falling, she couldn't tell up from down. It wasn't until Jonathan pulled her into him that she knew where she was. She tried to fight him, hit him in the ribs a couple times and got one fist across his cheek, but before she could pull another punch, he pressed her against him. He squeezed her tightly, almost suffocating her, and then a heat washed over her. She felt a fire in the place where Jonathan had injected her with the potion, and the rest of her tingled. Her mind cleared and the green haze in her eyes melted away. Once again she saw the green-yellow grass, the green leaves on the trees, and the lavender fields in the distance. It was beautiful. Not only that, but she saw Jace, who was holding her.

"Jace?" Clary gasped and ceased struggling. He had a hold of her wrists, but he didn't fight her. "What—how—"

"It's me, Clary," he smirked, his eye still glowing like a copper plate in the sunlight. "We came." She stared into his eyes, searching his soul. She lifted a hand and touched his jaw, feeling the little bit of stubbled that had appeared since she last saw him. _This_ was her Jace. Jace Wayland. The keeper of her heart. Yes, this was him.

"But you—"

"Jonathan must have done something to you because when we got here, you were hanging against him."

"We?" Clary asked and Jace motioned over to the top of the hill.

Clary expected to see the two demons, but it was Alec and Izzy, his bow in hand and her whip shrieking through the air. They were both taking on Jonathan, the real Jonathan, and they were holding their own. However, Clary could tell Jonathan was getting angry. His face was reddening and his eyes were getting darker.

"I told you you'd want me, Clarissa!" he shouted, a maniacal growl escaping his throat. "I told you you'd be begging to be with me!" He ripped an arrow out of his shoulder without being phased.

"We have to get you back to the Institute," Jace said. "Alec, Izzy! Let's get out of here!"

"We're just going to run?" Clary yelled.

"You're in no condition to take him on, and even though I hate to admit it, Jonathan has us beat right now. We have to get you back and keep you safe," Jace said. Clary couldn't imagine how hard that must have been for Jace to admit that they couldn't beat Jonathan then and there, but he was right. Jonathan was powerful. The safest place for the time being was the Institute since he couldn't enter.

"Guys! Now!" Jace shouted, motioning the siblings away from the fight.

Izzy sent one last whip screaming around Jonathan's neck, pulled, and snapped him off his feet before retracting and retreating. They raced down the hill, almost barreling into Jace and Clary, and went right into a waiting portal. Jace picked Clary up, cradling her against him, and he stepped through.


	5. Bonded

**Okay, I had no idea when I wrote this story that Clary's favorite place she's always wanted to visit was Paris, and now Shadowhunters confirmed it! That's crazy! I just pulled a place out of my head and went for it. That's cool my story ends up lining up!**

…

The portal opened up right into the Institute and the four Shadowhunters stumbled through, almost falling into shelves of books in one of the studies. Jace had Clary clutched to his chest, but she was no longer clinging to him. Out of breath, Jace looked down at the small woman in his arms. She had lost consciousness, and her red hair, disheveled and grimy, hung in strands over her face. Jace shifted her weight in his arms, trying to be as careful as possible with her. He knew she was tough, but in this state, he was afraid he'd break her. Finally, Jace pulled his attention away from Clary long enough to address Izzy and Alec.

"We have to make sure Jonathan can't get back into the Institute."

"He was reborn fully demon, so there's no way he can get in here," Izzy said.

"I don't care!" Jace snapped. "We need to make _sure_ —double the enchantments, increase the watch—but he is not getting to Clary again."

Izzy bit her lip, eyeing Alec. "That's all you, big brother," she gestured at Jace.

Alec sighed. "Jace, we could do anything you wanted, but that won't make this place any safer. It's impenetrable to Jonathan. Clary is _safe_."

"For now," Jace whispered. "But as soon as she wakes up, she'll want to bring Jonathan in. She'll want to find him, and I can't protect her once she's out there," he nodded to the Manhattan lights outside the window.

Alec unfolded his arms, taking a step forward. "You may want to protect Clary, Jace, but she can handle herself. That's why you trained her. That's why she's a Shadowhunter. She's just as capable as any of us now." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's not the same scared girl you found dying from demon venom."

Jace sighed, flicking his blonde hair out of his eyes. Looking down at Clary once more, he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I know," he mumbled. "I know I can't always protect her. And it's even harder with them being bonded together. I can't touch Jonathan without the fear of injuring Clary, too."

Izzy spoke up. "Speaking of which, Alec shot Jonathan with an arrow in the shoulder. We should check that out."

"Let's take her to her bedroom," Alec motioned to the door.

Jace slid through the cracked door, kicking it lightly. He maneuvered around the large bed and put Clary down. Just as he was about to let go of Clary's hand, her fingers tightened around his hand. "Clary?"

She didn't open her eyes, but squeezed. "Jace?"

"I'm right here," he smiled, exhaling.

Clary's eyes fluttered open, clear and beautiful. She smiled. "Hey."

"How are you feeling?"

She groaned, trying to sit up, but she cried out, falling onto her shoulder.

"Clary—"

"Ouch," she whispered slowly, pulling down the collar of her shirt. She hissed when she saw a hole in her shoulder, bleeding still. "When did this happen?"

"Uh, Alec shot Jonathan with an arrow," Jace said.

"Sorry, Clary," Alec said.

Clary's face brightened. "Hi, guys," she smiled at Izzy who sat at the end of the bed. "Thank you for coming for me."

"We would never leave you." Izzy reached out and touched Clary's leg, squeezing softly.

"And I'm still sorry about shooting you with an arrow," Alec rubbed the back of his neck. "I saw Jonathan, and in the moment, forgot you two were bonded."

"I didn't even feel it," Clary said. "The drug he gave me must have dulled my senses. Besides," she inhaled, glaring at the scarred mark carved into her chest, "if it takes killing me to kill Jonathan, then so be it."

"No, Clary," Jace shook his head. "We will figure out a way to cut the bond. We are not losing you." He sighed, moving a wisp of hair from Clary's face. "Here, let me heal you."

"No," Clary snapped, holding back Jace's hand. "If you heal me, then you heal Jonathan. I can take the pain. I want to make him suffer."

"But if he hasn't healed himself yet, then maybe something went wrong," Izzy said. "What if he doesn't heal?"

"If he doesn't heal with his stele, then I'll heal on my own like a mundane," Clary said.

"But what if—"

"No." Clary shook her head. "I can handle this. I want him to feel this pain."

"Clary, you're being ridiculous," Jace growled.

"No, I'm being smart."

"Actually, I agree with Jace," Alec said. "This is the exact opposite of smart. You need to be at full strength."

"If I'm at full strength, then he's at full strength," Clary huffed.

"Then so be it," Jace said. And in an instant, his stele was out and flashing across Clary's neck, healing the wound on her shoulder.

"Jace!" Clary shrieked. "What the hell?" She watched helplessly as her iratze rune glowed bright yellow before fading back to black, and the wound on her shoulder disappeared.

"Him being weak now does not affect you or us," he said, his stare placid. "He can be as powerful as he wants back in France, but you need to be strong."

"I don't care!"

"Well I do!" he yelled. "I love you, Clary, and I will not let you sit here wounded if I can do anything about it!"

"That's my choice to make, not yours!"

"Well, I made it for you!"

Clary scoffed, clenching her jaw. "That's not how a relationship works, Jace. And until you figure that out, I'm going to train."

"You can't train right now," Jace sighed, trying to catch Clary's wrist, but she pulled away.

"Oh, and are you going to stop me?" she tilted her head. "Are you going to make that decision for me, too?' She scoffed again, shaking her head. "It's either I go take my frustration out on an inanimate object or your face. Your choice, Wayland." With that, she turned and stormed out.

Jace winced. He hated when she called him that, but he deserved it. He'd made her mad. He'd spoken without thinking.

"That went well," Izzy chirped from the edge of the bed.

"Shut up, Izzy," Alec whispered. Jace stood up to go after Clary, but Alec stopped him. "Let her go. She needs to blow off some steam. She's not harboring her own emotions anymore; she has to share with Jonathan."

"I messed up, Alec," Jace whispered, head lowered.

"We all know that," he chuckled, but he coughed, straightening up. "But you need to let her know that too. Give her a while and then talk to her. A relationship isn't anything without communication."

Clary shuffled across the training room, hands wrapped and arms raised in front of her face. She grunted, taking a swing at the punching bag hanging from the ceiling. The solid connection sent shock waves up her arm. It felt good to be tired, to feel her muscles ache from exhaustion. Sweat beaded her arms, her forehead dripping. She'd gained so much strength since starting training three years ago. She liked to think of herself as muscular, even. Clary stopped, her breathing echoing through the large room. Standing in front of the large mirrors surrounding the training room, Clary studied herself. She still looked like herself, but she felt like she appeared different. She stood a different way, held her head higher. A darkness had harbored behind her eyes though, and Clary knew that would never go away. The darkness made her stronger. She pulled the neck of her shirt down, scowling once again at the mark. The mark that bound her to her brother, to Jonathan. She couldn't get his face out of her head. He was handsome and even looked like they could be family, but—Clary turned her head. His rabid shouts, the way his teeth gleamed like an animal's, she couldn't help but notice similarities in her.

 _Clary_.

She whirled around, searching through the dim light.

 _Clary_!

Jonathan. She could hear his voice in her head.

 _They're coming_.

Clary's breath evaporated as if it had been vacuumed out of her lungs. She stumbled back, a sharp force piercing her gut. Then, she was drowning. Her lungs filled with water, an inescapable prison of suffocation. Clary looked down, searching for the source of immeasurable pain, and saw blood soaked through her shirt and already half way down her jeans. She slapped a hand to the flow, collapsing in on herself. She wobbled on her knees for a moment, but the black at the edges of her vision pulled her in too quickly.

 _I'm sorry, sister_.

Her strength gave way and she gladly succumbed to the cold darkness, her own blood pooling on the floor, warming her pale skin.


End file.
